US11963099B2 - Systems and methods for beacon alignment for soft access point - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein are related to a first device to communicate with a second device and a third device. In one aspect, the first device determines a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from the second device. In one aspect, the first device determines, according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to a third device. In one aspect, the first device determines a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode. The third time interval may encompass the first time interval and the second time interval. In one aspect, the first device receives the first beacon frame from the second device during the first time interval, and transmits the second beacon frame to the third device during the second time interval.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 as a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 17/155,623, filed on Jan. 22, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Artificial reality such as a virtual reality (VR), an augmented reality (AR), or a mixed reality (MR) provides immersive experience to a user. In one example, a user wearing a head wearable display (HWD) can turn the user's head, and an image of a virtual object corresponding to a location of the HWD and a gaze direction of the user can be displayed on the HWD to allow the user to feel as if the user is moving within a space of artificial reality (e.g., a VR space, an AR space, or a MR space).

In one implementation, an image of a virtual object is generated by a computing (or stage) device communicatively coupled to the HWD. In one example, the HWD includes various sensors that detect a location and/or orientation of the HWD, and transmits the detected location and/or orientation of the HWD to the computing device. The computing device can determine a user's view of the space of the artificial reality according to the detected location and/or orientation of the HWD, and generate image data indicating an image of the space of the artificial reality corresponding to the user's view. The computing device can transmit the image data to the HWD, according to which the image of the space of the artificial reality corresponding to the user's view can be presented to the user. In one aspect, the process of detecting the location of the HWD and the gaze direction of the user wearing the HWD, and rendering the image to the user should be performed within a frame time (e.g., 11 ms or 16 ms). A latency between a movement of the user wearing the HWD and an image displayed corresponding to the user movement can cause judder, which may result in motion sickness and can degrade the user experience.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments disclosed herein are related to a method of communication by a first device with a second device and a third device. In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the first device, a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device. In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the first device according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to the third device. The second beacon frame may facilitate communication between the second device and the third device. In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the first device, a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode. The third time interval may encompass (e.g., extend across/over at least) the first time interval and the second time interval. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving, by the first device, the first beacon frame from the second device during the first time interval. In some embodiments, the method includes transmitting, by the first device, the second beacon frame to the third device during the second time interval.

In some embodiments, the method includes entering, by the first device, a sleep mode after the third time interval. In some embodiments, the first device is configured to remain in the sleep mode after the third time interval until a fourth time interval, and to enter the wake up mode during the fourth time interval to receive another first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device. In some embodiments, the method includes periodically switching, by the first device, between the wake up mode and the sleep mode, to receive a corresponding first beacon frame from the second device and to transmit a corresponding second beacon frame to the third device upon each entry of the first device into the wake up mode.

In some embodiments, the first device is/comprises a soft access point, e.g., behaving as a station device and a soft access point (e.g., software enabled access point), the second device is/comprises an access point, and the third device is/comprises a station device. In some embodiments, the first beacon frame is configured to announce a first wireless link for the communication between the first device (e.g., as a station device) and the second device, and the second beacon frame is configured to announce a second wireless link for the communication between the first device (as a soft access point) and the third device.

In some embodiments, determining, by the first device according to the first time interval, the second time interval for the first device to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device includes scheduling, by the first device, the second time interval to be within a predetermined proximity from the first time interval. In some embodiments, determining, by the first device, the third time interval to operate the first device in the wake up mode includes configuring, setting or extending an end of the third time interval to be after the second time interval.

Various embodiments disclosed herein are related to a first device to communicate with a second device and a third device. In some embodiments, the first device includes a wireless interface, and one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to determine a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to determine, according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to the third device. The second beacon frame may facilitate communication between the second device and the third device. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to determine a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode. The third time interval may encompass the first time interval and the second time interval. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to receive the first beacon frame from the second device during the first time interval. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device during the second time interval.

In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to enter a sleep mode after the third time interval. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to remain in the sleep mode after the third time interval until a fourth time interval, and to enter the wake up mode during the fourth time interval to receive another first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to periodically toggle/transition/switch between the wake up mode and the sleep mode, to receive a corresponding first beacon frame from the second device and to transmit a corresponding second beacon frame to the third device upon each entry of the first device into the wake up mode.

In some embodiments, the first device is a soft access point, the second device is an access point, and the third device is a station device. In some embodiments, the first beacon frame is configured to announce a first wireless link for the communication between the first device and the second device, and the second beacon frame is configured to announce a second wireless link for the communication between the first device and the third device.

In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to determine, according to the first time interval, the second time interval for the first device to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device by scheduling the second time interval to be within a predetermined proximity from the first time interval. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are configured to determine the third time interval to operate the first device in the wake up mode by setting or extending an end of the third time interval to be after the second time interval.

Various embodiments disclosed herein are related to a non-transitory computer readable medium of a first device storing instructions for communicating with a second device and a third device. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine, according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to the third device, the second beacon frame to facilitate communication between the second device and the third device. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode. The third time interval may encompass the first time interval and the second time interval. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause a wireless interface to receive the first beacon frame from the second device during the first time interval. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless interface to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device during the second time interval.

In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless interface to enter a sleep mode after the third time interval. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine the second time interval by scheduling the second time interval to be within a predetermined threshold from the first time interval. In some embodiments, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine the third time interval to operate the first device in the wake up mode by setting or extending an end of the third time interval to be after the second time interval.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. For purposes of clarity, not every component can be labeled in every drawing.

FIG.1 is a diagram of a system environment including an artificial reality system, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG.2 is a diagram of a head wearable display, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG.3 is a timing diagram showing an operation of a computing device, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG.4 is a timing diagram showing an operation of a computing device, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG.5 is a flowchart showing a process of transmitting and receiving beacon frames, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG.6 is a block diagram of a computing environment according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before turning to the figures, which illustrate certain embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.

Disclosed herein are related to systems and methods for dynamically scheduling a wake up time interval for a first device (e.g., an AR/VR computing device, sometimes referred to as a stage device) that may operate as an intermediate device between a second device (e.g., an access point) and a third device (e.g., a HWD). The first device may operate as a station device for a communication link (interlink) between the first device and the second device. The second device may be an access point. The first device may also operate as a soft access point for a communication link (intralink) between the first device and the third device. The third device may be a station device or HWD. In one aspect, a wake up time interval for receiving and transmitting beacon frames can be adjusted in a manner that reduces power consumption of the station device. A beacon frame may announce or advertise a presence of a wireless link.

In one example, a wake up time interval for the computing device (second device) can be set, according to operations of the second device and the third device. For example, the first device may be scheduled to enter a wake up mode for a time interval, during which the first device may communicate with both the second device and with the third device. After the wake up time interval, the first device may enter a sleep mode until a subsequent wake up time interval.

By determining or setting the wake up time interval for the first device to receive the first beacon frame from the second device and to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device, the computing device may more efficiently and/or effectively conserve power. In one aspect, entering a wake up mode from a sleep mode may consume a large amount of power (e.g., 2˜3 mW). Rather than transitioning from the sleep mode to the wake up mode twice or multiple times, the first device may enter the wake up mode once for a time interval, during which the first device may receive a beacon frame from the second device and also transmit another beacon frame to the third device. By reducing a number of transitioning from the sleep mode to the wake up mode, the first device may conserve power.

FIG.1 is a block diagram of an example artificialreality system environment100. In some embodiments, the artificialreality system environment100 includes an access point (AP)105, one or more HWDs150 (e.g.,HWD150A,150B), and one or more computing devices110 (e.g.,computing devices110A,110B) providing data for artificial reality to the one or more HWDs150. Theaccess point105 may be a router or any network device allowing one ormore computing devices110 and/or one ormore HWDs150 to access a network (e.g., the Internet). Theaccess point105 may be replaced by any communication device (cell site). Acomputing device110 may be a computing device or a mobile device that can retrieve content from theaccess point105, and provide image data of artificial reality to acorresponding HWD150. EachHWD150 may present the image of the artificial reality to a user according to the image data. In some embodiments, the artificialreality system environment100 includes more, fewer, or different components than shown inFIG.1. In some embodiments, thecomputing devices110A,110B communicate with theaccess point105 throughwireless links102A,102B (e.g., interlinks), respectively. In some embodiments, thecomputing device110A communicates with theHWD150A through awireless link125A (e.g., intralink), and thecomputing device110B communicates with theHWD150B through awireless link125B (e.g., intralink). In some embodiments, functionality of one or more components of the artificialreality system environment100 can be distributed among the components in a different manner than is described here. For example, some of the functionality of thecomputing device110 may be performed by theHWD150. For example, some of the functionality of theHWD150 may be performed by thecomputing device110.

In some embodiments, theHWD150 is an electronic component that can be worn by a user and can present or provide an artificial reality experience to the user. TheHWD150 may be referred to as, include, or be part of a head mounted display (HMD), head mounted device (HMD), head wearable device (HWD), head worn display (HWD) or head worn device (HWD). TheHWD150 may render one or more images, video, audio, or some combination thereof to provide the artificial reality experience to the user. In some embodiments, audio is presented via an external device (e.g., speakers and/or headphones) that receives audio information from theHWD150, the computing/stage device110, or both, and presents audio based on the audio information. In some embodiments, theHWD150 includessensors155, awireless interface165, aprocessor170, and a display175. These components may operate together to detect a location of theHWD150 and a gaze direction of the user wearing theHWD150, and render an image of a view within the artificial reality corresponding to the detected location and/or orientation of theHWD150. In other embodiments, theHWD150 includes more, fewer, or different components than shown inFIG.1.

In some embodiments, thesensors155 include electronic components or a combination of electronic components and software components that detects a location and an orientation of theHWD150. Examples of thesensors155 can include: one or more imaging sensors, one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, one or more magnetometers, or another suitable type of sensor that detects motion and/or location. For example, one or more accelerometers can measure translational movement (e.g., forward/back, up/down, left/right) and one or more gyroscopes can measure rotational movement (e.g., pitch, yaw, roll). In some embodiments, thesensors155 detect the translational movement and the rotational movement, and determine an orientation and location of theHWD150. In one aspect, thesensors155 can detect the translational movement and the rotational movement with respect to a previous orientation and location of theHWD150, and determine a new orientation and/or location of theHWD150 by accumulating or integrating the detected translational movement and/or the rotational movement. Assuming for an example that theHWD150 is oriented in a direction 25 degrees from a reference direction, in response to detecting that theHWD150 has rotated 20 degrees, thesensors155 may determine that theHWD150 now faces or is oriented in a direction 45 degrees from the reference direction. Assuming for another example that theHWD150 was located two feet away from a reference point in a first direction, in response to detecting that theHWD150 has moved three feet in a second direction, thesensors155 may determine that theHWD150 is now located at a vector multiplication of the two feet in the first direction and the three feet in the second direction.

In some embodiments, thewireless interface165 includes an electronic component or a combination of an electronic component and a software component that communicates with thecomputing device110. In some embodiments, thewireless interface165 includes or is embodied as a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data through a wireless medium. Thewireless interface165 may communicate with a wireless interface115 of acorresponding computing device110 through a wireless link125 (e.g., intralink). Thewireless interface165 may also communicate with theaccess point105 through a wireless link (e.g., interlink). Examples of the wireless link125 include a near field communication link, Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, or any wireless communication link. Through the wireless link125, thewireless interface165 may transmit to thecomputing device110 data indicating the determined location and/or orientation of theHWD150, the determined gaze direction of the user, and/or hand tracking measurement. Moreover, through the wireless link125, thewireless interface165 may receive from thecomputing device110 image data indicating or corresponding to an image to be rendered.

In some embodiments, theprocessor170 includes an electronic component or a combination of an electronic component and a software component that generates one or more images for display, for example, according to a change in view of the space of the artificial reality. In some embodiments, theprocessor170 is implemented as one or more graphical processing units (GPUs), one or more central processing unit (CPUs), or a combination of them that can execute instructions to perform various functions described herein. Theprocessor170 may receive, through thewireless interface165, image data describing an image of artificial reality to be rendered, and render the image through the display175. In some embodiments, the image data from thecomputing device110 may be encoded, and theprocessor170 may decode the image data to render the image. In some embodiments, theprocessor170 receives, from thecomputing device110 through thewireless interface165, object information indicating virtual objects in the artificial reality space and depth information indicating depth (or distances from the HWD150) of the virtual objects. In one aspect, according to the image of the artificial reality, object information, depth information from thecomputing device110, and/or updated sensor measurements from thesensors155, theprocessor170 may perform shading, reprojection, and/or blending to update the image of the artificial reality to correspond to the updated location and/or orientation of theHWD150.

In some embodiments, the display175 is an electronic component that displays an image. The display175 may, for example, be a liquid crystal display or an organic light emitting diode display. The display175 may be a transparent display that allows the user to see through. In some embodiments, when theHWD150 is worn by a user, the display175 is located proximate (e.g., less than 3 inches) to the user's eyes. In one aspect, the display175 emits or projects light towards the user's eyes according to image generated by theprocessor170. TheHWD150 may include a lens that allows the user to see the display175 in a close proximity.

In some embodiments, theprocessor170 performs compensation to compensate for any distortions or aberrations. In one aspect, the lens introduces optical aberrations such as a chromatic aberration, a pin-cushion distortion, barrel distortion, etc. Theprocessor170 may determine a compensation (e.g., predistortion) to apply to the image to be rendered to compensate for the distortions caused by the lens, and apply the determined compensation to the image from theprocessor170. Theprocessor170 may provide the predistorted image to the display175.

In some embodiments, thecomputing device110 is an electronic component or a combination of an electronic component and a software component that provides content to be rendered to theHWD150. Thecomputing device110 may be embodied as a mobile device (e.g., smart phone, tablet PC, laptop, etc.). Thecomputing device110 may operate as a soft access point. In one aspect, thecomputing device110 includes a wireless interface115 and a processor118. These components may operate together to determine a view (e.g., a FOV of the user) of the artificial reality corresponding to the location of theHWD150 and the gaze direction of the user of theHWD150, and can generate image data indicating an image of the artificial reality corresponding to the determined view. Thecomputing device110 may also communicate with theaccess point105, and may obtain AR/VR content from theaccess point105, for example, through the wireless link102 (e.g., interlink). Thecomputing device110 may receive sensor measurement indicating location and the gaze direction of the user of theHWD150 and provide the image data to theHWD150 for presentation of the artificial reality, for example, through the wireless link125 (e.g., intralink). In other embodiments, thecomputing device110 includes more, fewer, or different components than shown inFIG.1.

In some embodiments, the wireless interface115 is an electronic component or a combination of an electronic component and a software component that communicates with theHWD150, theaccess point105,other computing device110, or any combination of them. In some embodiments, the wireless interface115 includes or is embodied as a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data through a wireless medium. The wireless interface115 may be a counterpart component to thewireless interface165 to communicate with theHWD150 through a wireless link125 (e.g., intralink). The wireless interface115 may also include a component to communicate with theaccess point105 through a wireless link102 (e.g., interlink). Examples of wireless link102 include a cellular communication link, a near field communication link, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 60 GHz wireless link, or any wireless communication link. The wireless interface115 may also include a component to communicate with adifferent computing device110 through awireless link185. Examples of thewireless link185 include a near field communication link, Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, or any wireless communication link. Through the wireless link102 (e.g., interlink), the wireless interface115 may obtain AR/VR content, or other content from theaccess point105. Through the wireless link125 (e.g., intralink), the wireless interface115 may receive from theHWD150 data indicating the determined location and/or orientation of theHWD150, the determined gaze direction of the user, and/or the hand tracking measurement. Moreover, through the wireless link125 (e.g., intralink), the wireless interface115 may transmit to theHWD150 image data describing an image to be rendered. Through thewireless link185, the wireless interface115 may receive or transmit information indicating the wireless link125 (e.g., channel, timing) between thecomputing device110 and theHWD150. According to the information indicating the wireless link125,computing devices110 may coordinate or schedule operations to avoid interference or collisions.

The processor118 can include or correspond to a component that generates content to be rendered according to the location and/or orientation of theHWD150. In some embodiments, the processor118 includes or is embodied as one or more central processing units, graphics processing units, image processors, or any processors for generating images of the artificial reality. In some embodiments, the processor118 may incorporate the gaze direction of the user of theHWD150 and a user interaction in the artificial reality to generate the content to be rendered. In one aspect, the processor118 determines a view of the artificial reality according to the location and/or orientation of theHWD150. For example, the processor118 maps the location of theHWD150 in a physical space to a location within an artificial reality space, and determines a view of the artificial reality space along a direction corresponding to the mapped orientation from the mapped location in the artificial reality space. The processor118 may generate image data describing an image of the determined view of the artificial reality space, and transmit the image data to theHWD150 through the wireless interface115. The processor118 may encode the image data describing the image, and can transmit the encoded data to theHWD150. In some embodiments, the processor118 generates and provides the image data to theHWD150 periodically (e.g., every 11 ms or 16 ms).

In some embodiments, theprocessors118,170 may configure or cause the wireless interfaces115,165 to toggle, transition, cycle or switch between a sleep mode and a wake up mode. In the wake up mode, the processor118 may enable the wireless interface115 and theprocessor170 may enable thewireless interface165, such that the wireless interfaces115,165 may exchange data. In the sleep mode, the processor118 may disable (e.g., implement low power operation in) the wireless interface115 and theprocessor170 may disable thewireless interface165, such that the wireless interfaces115,165 may not consume power or may reduce power consumption. Theprocessors118,170 may schedule the wireless interfaces115,165 to switch between the sleep mode and the wake up mode periodically every frame time (e.g., 11 ms or 16 ms). For example, the wireless interfaces115,165 may operate in the wake up mode for 2 ms of the frame time, and the wireless interfaces115,165 may operate in the sleep mode for the remainder (e.g., 9 ms) of the frame time. By disabling the wireless interfaces115,165 in the sleep mode, power consumption of thecomputing device110 and theHWD150 can be reduced.

In some embodiments, thecomputing device110 may set or adjust a time interval for receiving a beacon frame from theaccess point105 and transmitting one or more beacon frames to one or more HWDs150. In one approach, thecomputing device110 may determine the time interval (a single continuous time period/window/duration) during which thecomputing device110 operates in the wake up mode to receive a first beacon frame from theaccess point105 and to transmit a second beacon frame to theHWD150. For example, thecomputing device110 may schedule receipt of the first beacon frame and/or transmission of the second beacon frame to occur during the time interval. For example, thecomputing device110 may set, adjust, or extend the time interval, such that receipt of the first beacon frame and/or transmission of the second beacon frame may occur during the time interval. By receiving and transmitting beacon frames during the time interval, thecomputing device110 may conserve power. In one aspect, entering a wake up mode from a sleep mode may consume a large amount of power (e.g., 2˜3 mW). Rather than transitioning from the sleep mode to the wake up mode twice or multiple times, thecomputing device110 may enter the wake up mode once for a time interval, during which thecomputing device110 may receive the first beacon frame from theaccess point105 and transmit a second beacon frame to theHWD150. By reducing a number of transitioning from the sleep mode to the wake up mode, thecomputing device110 may conserve power. Detailed descriptions on setting or adjusting a time interval for receiving a beacon frame from theaccess point105 and transmitting one or more beacon frames to one ormore HWDs150 are provided below with respect toFIGS.4 and5 below.

FIG.2 is a diagram of aHWD150, in accordance with an example embodiment. In some embodiments, theHWD150 includes a frontrigid body205 and aband210. The frontrigid body205 includes the display175 (not shown inFIG.2), the lens (not shown inFIG.2), thesensors155, thewireless interface165, and theprocessor170. In the embodiment shown byFIG.2, thewireless interface165, theprocessor170, and thesensors155 are located within the frontrigid body205, and may not visible to the user. In other embodiments, theHWD150 has a different configuration than shown inFIG.2. For example, thewireless interface165, theprocessor170, and/or thesensors155 may be in different locations than shown inFIG.2.

FIG.3 is a timing diagram300 of operation of acomputing device110, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, thecomputing device110 operates in a wake up mode duringtime intervals355A,355B,355C. For example, thecomputing device110 may enable a wireless interface (e.g., wireless interface115) during thetime intervals355A,355B,355C to monitor for receivingbeacon frames310A,310B,310C from theaccess point105 through the wireless link102 (e.g., interlink). Duration of each time interval355 may be 2˜3 ms. Beacon frames310A,310B,310C may include information to announce/advertise a presence of a wireless link hosted by theaccess point105 and can synchronize operation between theaccess point105 and thecomputing device110. Theaccess point105 may transmit the beacon frames310A,310B,310C periodically (e.g., every 200˜300 ms). According to the beacon frames310A,310B,310C, thecomputing device110 may perform synchronization and determine timing of other operations (e.g., communication, etc.) with theaccess point105. For example, thecomputing device110 may operate in the wake up mode to request AR/VR content or data from theaccess point105 or obtain driver updates, and receive the requested content or data from theaccess point105 through the wireless link102 (e.g., interlink). In one implementation, after thetime intervals355A,355B,355C, thecomputing device110 may enter a sleep mode to conserve power. For example, thecomputing device110 operating in the sleep mode may disable the wireless interface (e.g., wireless interface115).

In one implementation, thecomputing device110 operates in a wake up mode duringtime intervals365A,365B,365C. During thetime intervals365A,365B,365C, thecomputing device110 may operate as a soft access point, and transmitbeacon frames320A,320B,320C to theHWD150. Beacon frames320A,320B,320C may include information to announce a presence of a wireless link hosted by thecomputing device110 to theHWD150, and synchronize operation between thecomputing device110 and theHWD150. After transmitting the beacon frames320A,320B,320C, thecomputing device110 may enter the sleep mode. By operating in the sleep mode, thecomputing device110 may conserve power. Although not shown for simplicity, thecomputing device110 may operate in the wake up mode more frequently to communicate with theHWD150. For example, thecomputing device110 may operate in the wake up mode every frame time (e.g., 11 ms˜16 ms) to receive sensor data from theHWD150 and provide AR/VR image for rendering to theHWD150 through the wireless link125 (e.g., intralink).

FIG.4 is a timing diagram400 of operation of thecomputing device110, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, thecomputing device110 operates in a wake up mode duringtime intervals455A,455B,455C. Duringtime intervals455A,455B,455C, thecomputing device110 may monitor for a first beacon frame from theaccess point105 and may transmit a second beacon frame to theHWD150. Duration of each time interval355 may be 2˜3 ms. For example, during thetime intervals455A,455B,455C, thecomputing device110 may enable the wireless interface (e.g., wireless interface115), and to monitor for receivingbeacon frames410A,410B,410C from theaccess point105 through wireless link102 (e.g., interlink). Beacon frames410A,410B,410C may include information to announce/advertise a presence of a wireless link hosted by theaccess point105 and can synchronize operation between theaccess point105 and thecomputing device110. According to the beacon frames410A,410B,410C, thecomputing device110 may perform synchronization with theaccess point105. Unlike the timing diagram300 inFIG.3, during thetime intervals455A,455B,455C for receiving the beacon frames410A,410B,410C, thecomputing device110 may transmit the beacon frames420A,420B,420C to theHWD150 through the wireless link125 (e.g., intralink), rather than during time intervals (e.g., time intervals365) separate or distinct from thetime intervals455A,455B,455C. Beacon frames420A,420B,420C may include information to announce a presence of a wireless link hosted by thecomputing device110 to theHWD150, and can synchronize operation between thecomputing device110 and theHWD150. After transmitting the beacon frames420A,420B,420C, thecomputing device110 may enter a sleep mode.

In one aspect, transitioning to a wake up mode from a sleep mode can involve operations that may consume a large/significant amount of power (e.g., 2˜3 mW). For example, entering the wake up mode may involve enabling the wireless interface115, performing calibration, setting or loading parameters, etc. In one aspect, thecomputing device110 determines whether the beacon frames420A,420B,420C can be transmitted within thetime intervals455A,455B,455C, during which the beacon frames410A,410B,410C are received. If the beacon frames420A,420B,420C can be transmitted during the time intervals, thecomputing device110 may transmit the beacon frames420A,420B,420C to theHWD150 duringtime intervals455A,455B,455C.

In one approach, if the beacon frames420A,420B,420C cannot be transmitted within thetime intervals455A,455B,455C, thecomputing device110 may determine whether the time intervals for transmission of the beacon frames420A,420B,420C can be adjusted or extended. If the time intervals for transmission of the beacon frames420A,420B,420C can be adjusted to be within thetime intervals455A,455B,455C, respectively, thecomputing device110 may set or adjust the time intervals for transmission of the beacon frames420A,420B,420C to be within thetime intervals455A,455B,455C, respectively and can transmit the beacon frames420A,420B,420C during thetime intervals455A,455B,455C. If the time intervals for transmission of the beacon frames420A,420B,420C cannot be adjusted, thecomputing device110 may determine whether thetime intervals455A,455B,455C can be adjusted or extended. If the amount of time to extend thetime intervals455A,455B,455C to remain in the wake up mode is less a threshold value (e.g., 2˜3 ms), thecomputing device110 may adjust or extend thetime intervals455A,455B,455C, such that the time intervals for transmission of the beacon frames420A,420B,420C can be within the adjustedtime intervals455A,455B,455C and thecomputing device110 may transmit the beacon frames420A,420B,420C during the adjustedtime intervals455A,455B,455C. The threshold value may be determined based on the cost of entering a wake up mode from the sleep mode and a power consumption of remaining to operate in the wake up mode for the extended time. If the amount of time to extend thetime intervals455A,455B,455C to remain in the wake up mode is larger than the threshold value (e.g., 2˜3 ms), thecomputing device110 may not adjust or extend thetime intervals455A,455B,455C.

FIG.5 is a flowchart showing aprocess500 of transmitting and receiving beacon frames, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, theprocess500 is performed by thecomputing device110. In some embodiments, theprocess500 is performed by other entities. In some embodiments, theprocess500 includes more, fewer, or different steps than shown inFIG.5.

In one approach, thecomputing device110 determines510 a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame (e.g., beacon frame410) from an access point (e.g., access point105). The first beacon frame may include information to announce a presence of a wireless link (e.g., wireless link102) hosted by theaccess point105 and can synchronize operation between theaccess point105 and thecomputing device110. According to the first beacon frame, thecomputing device110 may perform synchronization with theaccess point105.

In one approach, thecomputing device110 determines520 a second time interval to transmit a second beacon frame (e.g., beacon frame420) to a station device (e.g., HWD150). The second beacon frame may include information to announce a presence of a wireless link (e.g., wireless link125) hosted by thecomputing device110 to the station device, and can synchronize operation between thecomputing device110 and the station device.

In one approach, thecomputing device110 determines530 a third time interval (e.g., time interval455) to operate thecomputing device110 in a wake up mode. The third time interval may be initially set or determined as a time interval to monitor for the first beacon frame. In the wake up mode, thecomputing device110 may enable the wireless interface (e.g., wireless interface115). In one approach, thecomputing device110 may determine whether the second time interval for transmission of the second beacon frame can be adjusted or extended. For example, if the second time interval for transmission of the second beacon frame can be adjusted to be within the third time interval, thecomputing device110 may set or adjust the second time interval for transmission of the second beacon frame to be within the third time interval. If the second time interval for transmission of the second beacon frame cannot be adjusted, thecomputing device110 may determine whether the third time interval can be adjusted or extended. If the amount of time to extend the third time interval to remain in the wake up mode is less a threshold value (e.g., 2˜3 ms), thecomputing device110 may configure, adjust or extend the third time interval, such that the time interval for receiving the first beacon frame and the time interval for transmission of the second beacon frames420 can be within the configured/adjusted time interval455. The threshold value may be determined based on the cost of entering a wake up mode from the sleep mode and a power consumption of remain operating in the wake up mode for the extended time.

In one approach, thecomputing device110 operates in the wake up mode during the third time interval. During the third time interval, the computing device may enable the wireless interface to monitor for receiving540 the first beacon frame from the access point, and to transmit550 the second beacon frame to the station device. According to the first beacon frame and the second beacon frame, thecomputing device110 may communicate with the access point and the station device through two wireless links. After the third time interval, thecomputing device110 may enter a sleep mode until a subsequent time interval to communicate with the access point and/or the computing device or to exchange beacon frames with the access point and the computing device.

Advantageously, thecomputing device110 device can achieve power savings by reducing a number of times to enter the wake up mode from the sleep mode. In one aspect, transitioning to a wake up mode from a sleep mode can involve operations that may consume a large amount of power (e.g., 2˜3 mW). Rather than waking up multiple times, thecomputing device110 may wake up once for the third time interval (e.g., time interval455), during which thecomputing device110 may receive the first beacon frame from theaccess point105 and transmit the second beacon frame to theHWD150. By reducing a number of transitioning to the wake up mode from the sleep mode, thecomputing device110 may conserve power and extend battery life.

Various operations described herein can be implemented on computer systems.FIG.6 shows a block diagram of arepresentative computing system614 usable to implement the present disclosure. In some embodiments, thecomputing device110, theHWD150 or both ofFIG.1 are implemented by thecomputing system614.Computing system614 can be implemented, for example, as a consumer device such as a smartphone, other mobile phone, tablet computer, wearable computing device (e.g., smart watch, eyeglasses, head wearable display), desktop computer, laptop computer, or implemented with distributed computing devices. Thecomputing system614 can be implemented to provide VR, AR, MR experience. In some embodiments, thecomputing system614 can include conventional computer components such asprocessors616,storage device618,network interface620, user input device622, and user output device624.

Network interface620 can provide a connection to a wide area network (e.g., the Internet) to which WAN interface of a remote server system is also connected.Network interface620 can include a wired interface (e.g., Ethernet) and/or a wireless interface implementing various RF data communication standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular data network standards (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, 60 GHz, LTE, etc.).

User input device622 can include any device (or devices) via which a user can provide signals tocomputing system614; computingsystem614 can interpret the signals as indicative of particular user requests or information. User input device622 can include any or all of a keyboard, touch pad, touch screen, mouse or other pointing device, scroll wheel, click wheel, dial, button, switch, keypad, microphone, sensors (e.g., a motion sensor, an eye tracking sensor, etc.), and so on.

User output device624 can include any device via whichcomputing system614 can provide information to a user. For example, user output device624 can include a display to display images generated by or delivered tocomputing system614. The display can incorporate various image generation technologies, e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) including organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), projection system, cathode ray tube (CRT), or the like, together with supporting electronics (e.g., digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital converters, signal processors, or the like). A device such as a touchscreen that function as both input and output device can be used. Output devices624 can be provided in addition to or instead of a display. Examples include indicator lights, speakers, tactile “display” devices, printers, and so on.

Some implementations include electronic components, such as microprocessors, storage and memory that store computer program instructions in a computer readable storage medium (e.g., non-transitory computer readable medium). Many of the features described in this specification can be implemented as processes that are specified as a set of program instructions encoded on a computer readable storage medium. When these program instructions are executed by one or more processors, they cause the processors to perform various operation indicated in the program instructions. Examples of program instructions or computer code include machine code, such as is produced by a compiler, and files including higher-level code that are executed by a computer, an electronic component, or a microprocessor using an interpreter. Through suitable programming,processor616 can provide various functionality forcomputing system614, including any of the functionality described herein as being performed by a server or client, or other functionality associated with message management services.

It will be appreciated thatcomputing system614 is illustrative and that variations and modifications are possible. Computer systems used in connection with the present disclosure can have other capabilities not specifically described here. Further, while computingsystem614 is described with reference to particular blocks, it is to be understood that these blocks are defined for convenience of description and are not intended to imply a particular physical arrangement of component parts. For instance, different blocks can be located in the same facility, in the same server rack, or on the same motherboard. Further, the blocks need not correspond to physically distinct components. Blocks can be configured to perform various operations, e.g., by programming a processor or providing appropriate control circuitry, and various blocks might or might not be reconfigurable depending on how the initial configuration is obtained. Implementations of the present disclosure can be realized in a variety of apparatus including electronic devices implemented using any combination of circuitry and software.

Having now described some illustrative implementations, it is apparent that the foregoing is illustrative and not limiting, having been presented by way of example. In particular, although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, those acts and those elements can be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. Acts, elements and features discussed in connection with one implementation are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other implementations or implementations.

The hardware and data processing components used to implement the various processes, operations, illustrative logics, logical blocks, modules and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose single- or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or, any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor also may be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, particular processes and methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function. The memory (e.g., memory, memory unit, storage device, etc.) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes, layers and modules described in the present disclosure. The memory may be or include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present disclosure. According to an exemplary embodiment, the memory is communicably connected to the processor via a processing circuit and includes computer code for executing (e.g., by the processing circuit and/or the processor) the one or more processes described herein.

The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” “comprising” “having” “containing” “involving” “characterized by” “characterized in that” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, equivalents thereof, and additional items, as well as alternate implementations consisting of the items listed thereafter exclusively. In one implementation, the systems and methods described herein consist of one, each combination of more than one, or all of the described elements, acts, or components.

Any references to implementations or elements or acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular can also embrace implementations including a plurality of these elements, and any references in plural to any implementation or element or act herein can also embrace implementations including only a single element. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements to single or plural configurations. References to any act or element being based on any information, act or element can include implementations where the act or element is based at least in part on any information, act, or element.

Any implementation disclosed herein can be combined with any other implementation or embodiment, and references to “an implementation,” “some implementations,” “one implementation” or the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation can be included in at least one implementation or embodiment. Such terms as used herein are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation. Any implementation can be combined with any other implementation, inclusively or exclusively, in any manner consistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed herein.

Where technical features in the drawings, detailed description or any claim are followed by reference signs, the reference signs have been included to increase the intelligibility of the drawings, detailed description, and claims. Accordingly, neither the reference signs nor their absence have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements.

Systems and methods described herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the characteristics thereof. References to “approximately,” “about” “substantially” or other terms of degree include variations of +/−10% from the given measurement, unit, or range unless explicitly indicated otherwise. Coupled elements can be electrically, mechanically, or physically coupled with one another directly or with intervening elements. Scope of the systems and methods described herein is thus indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.

The term “coupled” and variations thereof includes the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled directly with or to each other, with the two members coupled with each other using a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled with each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If “coupled” or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of “coupled” provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., “directly coupled” means the joining of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of “coupled” provided above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic.

References to “or” can be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” can indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. A reference to “at least one of ‘A’ and ‘B’” can include only ‘A’, only ‘B’, as well as both ‘A’ and ‘B’. Such references used in conjunction with “comprising” or other open terminology can include additional items.

Modifications of described elements and acts such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations can occur without materially departing from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed can be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements can be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be altered or varied. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions can also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the disclosed elements and operations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. The orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

Claims (20)

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a first device, a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from a second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device;

determining, by the first device according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to a third device, the second beacon frame to facilitate communication between the second device and the third device; and

determining, by the first device, a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode, the third time interval encompassing the first time interval and the second time interval.

2. The method ofclaim 1, comprising:

entering, by the first device, a sleep mode after the third time interval.

3. The method ofclaim 2, comprising:

remaining in the sleep mode after the third time interval until a fourth time interval starts, and

entering the wake up mode during the fourth time interval to receive another first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device.

4. The method ofclaim 2, comprising:

periodically switching, by the first device, between the wake up mode and the sleep mode, to receive a corresponding first beacon frame from the second device and to transmit a corresponding second beacon frame to the third device upon each entry of the first device into the wake up mode.

5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first device is a soft access point.

6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first beacon frame is configured to announce a first wireless link for the communication between the first device and the second device, and the second beacon frame is configured to announce a second wireless link for the communication between the first device and the third device.

7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein determining, by the first device according to the first time interval, the second time interval for the first device to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device includes:

scheduling, by the first device, the second time interval to be within a predetermined proximity from the first time interval.

8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein determining, by the first device, the third time interval to operate the first device in the wake up mode includes:

setting an end of the third time interval to be after the second time interval.

9. A first device comprising:

a wireless interface; and

one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface, the one or more processors configured to:

determine a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from a second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device;

determine, according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to a third device, the second beacon frame to facilitate communication between the second device and the third device; and

determine a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode, the third time interval encompassing the first time interval and the second time interval.

10. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

cause the wireless interface to enter a sleep mode after the third time interval.

11. The device ofclaim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to:

remain in the sleep mode after the third time interval until a fourth time interval starts, and

enter the wake up mode during the fourth time interval to receive another first beacon frame from the second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device.

12. The device ofclaim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless interface to periodically switch between the wake up mode and the sleep mode, to receive a corresponding first beacon frame from the second device and to transmit a corresponding second beacon frame to the third device upon each entry of the first device into the wake up mode.

13. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the first device is a soft access point.

14. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the first beacon frame is configured to announce a first wireless link for the communication between the first device and the second device, and the second beacon frame is configured to announce a second wireless link for the communication between the first device and the third device.

15. The device ofclaim 9, wherein in determining, according to the first time interval, the second time interval for the first device to transmit the second beacon frame to the third device, the one or more processors are configured to:

schedule the second time interval to be within a predetermined proximity from the first time interval.

16. The device ofclaim 9, wherein in determining the third time interval to operate the first device in the wake up mode, the one or more processors are configured to:

set an end of the third time interval to be after the second time interval.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium of a first device storing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a first time interval to receive a first beacon frame from a second device to facilitate communication between the first device and the second device;

determine, according to the first time interval, a second time interval for the first device to transmit a second beacon frame to a third device, the second beacon frame to facilitate communication between the second device and the third device; and

determine a third time interval to operate the first device in a wake up mode, the third time interval encompassing the first time interval and the second time interval.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium ofclaim 17, wherein the instructions when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

cause the wireless interface to enter a sleep mode after the third time interval.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium ofclaim 17, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine the second time interval by:

scheduling the second time interval to be within a predetermined threshold from the first time interval.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium ofclaim 17, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine the third time interval to operate the first device in the wake up mode by:

setting an end of the third time interval to be after the second time interval.

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